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Samsung Electronics will probably be ranked as the world's leading maker of cellphones for the first quarter, according to a survey of five analysts conducted by Bloomberg. The analysts estimate that Samsung sold 92 million units, compared with 83 million for Nokia, the former global champion. They cite strong sales of Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones, while noting that 71 million of Nokia's unit sales consisted of low-end handsets.

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Retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories totaled $1.1 billion in March, which was down 25% from $1.47 billion a year earlier, according to The NPD Group. Even with the March 6 launch of "Mass Effect 3" by Electronic Arts, software sales were off 25% for the month, to $553.1 million. NPD noted that Nintendo launched its 3DS console in March 2011, which helped pump up hardware sales to $494.5 million that month.

Climate Automation Systems has developed env, a home-automation system that can manage boilers, radiant heat flooring, pumps and temperature sensors to improve energy efficiency. Created by Ron Antinori, a software programmer, env is meant to go well beyond the usual thermostat in monitoring and regulating energy use in a residence.

More U.S. adults and teenagers are leveraging their cellphones to stream Internet radio stations in their cars, with listener numbers up more than 50% this year compared with last year, according to Arbitron and Edison Research. The firms reported that 17% of cellphone owners streamed online music to the radios in their vehicles this year, compared with 11% in 2011.

Nokia said Wednesday that its first-quarter income would come up short of estimates because of disappointing sales of the cellphone-maker's Symbian-powered handsets at a time when the company has yet to fully exploit its new relationship with Microsoft. While sales of the Lumia series of Windows Phone were strong, margins were relatively weak because of competition. Analysts urged Nokia to take stronger stops to turn around the company, such as spinning off its low-end phone units. Also on Wednesday, Nokia introduced its Lumia 610 NFC model, which will come equipped with a near-field communications chip for mobile payments, and said it would bring more NFC-enabled phones to market.

Handset companies may enjoy 80% of the U.S. market for cell phones, but they are struggling to keep up with Apple and Research in Motion in the lucrative smartphone arena, industry observers are saying. Analysts note that companies such Nokia, Motorola and Samsung have been slow to introduce smartphones in the U.S., opting instead for high-end cell phones that have sold sluggishly.